Recipe cabinet



May 28, 1963 M WHITE HARNSBERGER RECIPE CABINET Filed Feb. 20, 1961 INVENTOR M WHITE HARNSBERGER W5 HUM ATTYS.

3,091,504 RECIPE CABINET McWhite Harnsberger, 23 E. Wynnewood Road, Wynnewood, Pa. Filed Feb. 20, 1961, Ser- No. 90,301 1 Claim. (Cl. 312-231) The present invention relates to recipe cabinets and the like, and more particularly is directed to an improved cabinet which is of comparatively simplified construction and which may be manufactured easily and economically.

An object of the present invention is to provide a recipe cabinet having at least one drawer for recipe cards or the like, the drawer being constructed so that individual cards or a stack of cards may be easily inserted into and removed from the drawer when desired.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a drawer for recipe cards or the like wherein a selected card may be viewed in its entirety while in position in the drawer.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a drawer for recipe cards having means for supporting the drawer at an angle to a horizontal supporting surface, and presenting the material on a particular card to the user in a readily viewable position.

These and other objects of the present invention and the various features and details of the operation and construction thereof are hereinafter more fully set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing certain parts of the recipe cabinet of the present invention in detached relation;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1, but showing the parts of the cabinet in assembled relation;

'FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a memorandum pad assembly removably mounted in the cabinet, and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the drawers for recipe cards.

Referring to the drawings, the recipe cabinet of the present invention includes separate box-like front and rear sections and 12, respectively, which are adapted to be supported in abutting relation in a tray 14. As shown, the front section 10 comprises a rear wall 20* which is slightly higher than a front wall 22, a bottom wall 23, side Walls 24 connecting the front and rear walls, each side wall having an upper edge which is inclined, and a horizontally-extending drawer opening 28. The rear section 12 has spaced front and rear walls 30 and 32, in the present instance greater in height than the rear wall 20 of the front section, top and bottom walls 34 and 36 connecting the front and rear walls, an end wall (not shown), and an upright drawer opening 38 at one end opposite the end wall.

A drawer 39 for cards 41 having printed matter thereon, for example recipes, is slidably mounted in each of the drawer openings 28 and 38, and in the present instances the drawers are identical in construction. Cards which are used regularly may be stored in one of the drawers, and those which are used less frequently may be placed in the other drawer.

In accordance with the present invention, the drawer is constructed so that a single card or a stack of cards may be inserted into and removed from the drawer easily, and a selected card may be placed at the front of the stack and viewed in its entirety while in place in the drawer. To this end the drawer 39 includes a generally rectangular front panel 62 having a hand pull in the form of a knob 63 mounted on the front face thereof, an end panel 64 connected to an end edge of the front panel and projecting generally transversely thereof, side panels 65 and 66, each connected to one of the longitudinal side edges of the front panel. Each of the side panels is co-ex-tensive in length with its respective front panel longitudinal side edge and projects generally transversely'of the front panel 62 in the same direction as the end panel 64. The side panel 66 is co-extensive in depth with the end panel 64, and the side panel 65 extends less than the full depth of the end panel, thereby exposing the interior of the drawer from this side. An elongated retaining member to retain cards in the drawer is connected at one end to one of the longitudinal side edges of the front panel and at its other end to the side panel '66. In the present instance, the retaining member is a length of wire 70 bent along its length to formtransversely-extending leg portions 72 and 74, connected at one of its leg portions 72 to the outer edge of the side panel 65, and at its other leg portion 74 to the outer edge of the side panel 66. As shown, the leg portion 72 is co-planar with the side panel 65, and is of a length approximately equal to the difference between the depth of the drawer and the depth of the side panel 65. The leg portion 74 extends generally transversely of the side panel 66 and is of a length approximately equal to the distance between longitudinal side edges of the front panel or the height of the drawer. The retaining member is located between the end panel of the drawer and the open end thereof opposite the end wall 64 so that cards of the size illustrated can be withdrawn only through the open end of the drawer.

Another feature of the present invention is the provision of a support member for the drawer, whereby the drawer may be firmly supported at an angle on a horizontal surface 80, such as a table top, to thereby present a selected card at the top of the stack to the user in a readily viewable position. In the present instance, the knob 63 serves as the support member, and to this end is mounted on the front face of the front panel at a point offset from the center of the front panel toward the longitudinal side edge thereof, contiguous to the side panel 64 and approximately at the center of the panel in a longitudinal direction. The knob 63 is of a predetermined length, less than the height H of the drawer, so that the drawer may be firmly supported on the surface at an angle, as shown in FIG. 4, without tipping rearwardly.

The supporting tray 14 has a generally rectangular base 43 and a peripheral flange 45 projecting upwardly from the outer side edges of the base. The area of the base 43 of the tray included within the peripheral flange 45 is approximately equal to the combined areas of the bot tom walls 23 and 36 of the front and rear sections, respectively, so that these sections may be nested snugly in the tray in the manner shown in FIG. 2. In lieu of the tray, the front and rear sections may be formed as an integral unit, or suitably secured at their abutting walls 20 and 30. The front or rear section may be employed individually if desired.

A combination cover and memorandum pad assem-- bly 40 is removably mounted on the top of the front section and comprises a generally rectangular frame 42 having a window opening 44 therein. The frame 42 is supported at a forwardly-inclined angle on the top edges of the front, rear and side Walls of the front section. A support panel 47, providing a writing surface, is secured to the underside of the frame 42 and is spaced therefrom to provide slotted openings 46 and 48 at the upper and lower ends of the window opening. A bracket 50 depends from the support panel 47 and forms a pocket 52 for a roll of paper 53. With the roll 53 nested in the pocket 52, as shown, the end of the roll is passed through the slotted opening 46, drawn over the panel 47 and out through the slotted opening 48. As data is recorded on the roll included in the area of the window, this section may be removed by gripping the free end of the roll 53 projecting through the opening 48, pulling the paper forwardly, and then tearing the paper ata selected point along the front edge of the frame.

The cabinet is designed to be used in the following manner. The user removes one of the drawers 39 from the cabinet and places it on a table top 8t} in the position shown in FIG. 4. The desired card is chosen from the stack of cards and placed at the front of the stack where it is readily viewable in its entirety. 'It is to be noted that in the illustrated embodiment the drawers are not filled to capacity, so that the user may leaf through the cards to find a desired card without having to remove all of the cards from the drawer. The partially filled drawer also exposes the entire surface of the top card so that the printed matter thereon can be seen. Of course it is to be understood that the full capacity of the drawer may be utilized by providing an identifying tab for each of the cards and making the side wall 65 of a clear plastic material so that it does not hide the material on the top card.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that changes and modifications may be incorporated within the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

A cabinet consisting of front and rear sections, said front section including a front wall, a rear Wall of greater height than said front wall, side walls connecting said front and rear walls, a memorandum pad assembly sup- 30 ing said front and rear walls, means defining an upright drawer opening in said rear section opposite said end Wall, a tray for supporting said front and rear sections with the rear wall of the front section and the front wall of the rear section in abutting relation, a drawer movably mounted in each of said drawer openings in said front and rear sections, said drawer comprising a general ly rectangular front panel, an end panel connected to an end edge of said front panel and projecting generally transversely thereof, at least one side panel connected to one of the longitudinal side edges of said front panel coextensive in length therewith and projecting generally transversely thereof in the same direction as said end panel, said side panel being co-extensive in depth with said end panel, and an elongated retaining member con nected at one end to the other of said longitudinal side edges of said front panel and at its other end to said side panel, said retaining member adapted to retain cards in the drawer and permit viewing thereof While in the drawer, the end of said drawer opposite said end panel being open to permit insertion and removal of cards therethrough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 725,926 Binner Apr. 21, 1908 802,546 Anderson Oct. 24, 1906 891,490 Lippold June 23, 1908 1,466,335 Gleason Aug. 28, 1923 1,742,227 Wendrick Jan. 7, 1930 1,794,371 Frier Mar. 3, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS 12,349 Great Britain AD. 1892 

